Hose clamp



*gill-A June 22, 1965 R. v. HELLER 3,189,961

HosE CLAMP Filed Sept. 17, 1963 INVENTOR. R/C/HR V. HELLER m, maf/L 4TTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,189,961 HOSE CLAW Richard V. Heller,Woodstock, NY., assigner to Rotrou Manufacturing Company, Inc.,Woodstock, NY., a corporation of New York Filed Sept. 17, 1963, Ser. No.309,450 1 Claim. (Cl. 24-2d) This invention relates generally to clampsand more particularly to a hose clam-p.

There are numerous situations when it is necessary to connect a hose toanother hose or to an inlet or outlet. Various ways are provided foraccomplishing this among which is the utilization of a clamp.

The invention herein disclosed has as its principal object thefurnishing of a new hose clamp of unitary structure which requires verylittle space, is simple to use, can be attached without the use ofspecial tools and which is durable when in permanent installation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a hose clamp which can bereadily applied and removed to a particular installation.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a unique hoseclamp which can be produced at a reasonable price.

A hose clamp embodying the invention and the manner of using the same isdescribed herein with references to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hose clamp constructed in accordancewith the teachings of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the hose clamp illustrating the manner in whichthe ends are connected; and

FIG. 3 is a segmentary sectional view of the connecting portion of thehose clamp.

The hose clamp which is the subject of this invention is illustrated inthe figures and indicated generally therein by the numeral 16. In FIG. 2the hose clamp 10 is shown applied to a hose, a portion of which isillustrated in phantom and indicated by the numeral 11.

The clamp is a unitary, elongated, rectangular member having asubstantially rectangular cross-section formed of a resilient material,such as spring steel, polymer type elastomer, or metal reenforcedelastomer, or any other suitable material with the capability of beingdeformed and returning to shape by itself.

End 12 of the hose clamp is made narrower than the remainder of theclamp and is provided with a plurality of perforations, holes or slotsindicated by the numeral 13 which are displaced from one another alongthe longitudinal axis of narrow end 12. In the embodiment illustrated inthe figures, the perforations 13 are displaced from one another Aatregular intervals. The remaining end 14 of the clamp is formed with anupwardly or outwardly directed portion 15, a flattened portion 16 and aperforated end 17. Outwardly directed bend portion is formed with asubstantially rectangular slot 13 which is continued into the datportion 14' of the end and tongue 19 is punched out of end 14 andappears as a continuation of flat portion 1d but is projected downwardlytoward dat portion 14 of the end 14, The tongue or tag 19 issubstantially rectangular in cross-section having a restricted Width sothat the tongue can be projected with- 3,139,961 Patented June 22, 1965ICC in and through a slot 13. In like manner, narrow end 12 isrestricted in width so that it will pass through opening 19.

Bends 26 are provided in the clamp between ends 12 and 14% to supplyadditional spring tension.

In use the clamp is turned upon itself to form a circle with narrow end12 projecting through slot 18 and lying above dat portion 14 with tongue19 projecting toward the center of the circle so formed and within oneof the slots 13. The clamp is placed around a hose such as hose 11 andto tighten the clamp narrow end 12 and perforated upper portion 17 ofthe remaining end are pulled in opposite directions until the requiredtension is reached. Arrow A represents the pull on narrow portion 12 andarrow B represents the pull on the remaining end at grip 1'7. It isnoted that as the tension is increased tongue 19 is directed slig-htlyoutwardly and portion 16 is directed slightly inwardly so that thetongue 19 can override the surface of narrow end 12 between the slots asforces A and B are applied. When the required tension is reached releaseof the ends allows the narrow end 12 to spring outward followingitsnatural tendency to straighten out and the natural tendency of theelongated rectangular member from which the hose clamp has been formedto seek the substantially dat position which it had prior to the endsbeing turned upon themselves to form the circle. As end 12 tends tospring outward, tongue 19 engages one of the perforations 13 and becomeslocked therein.

To release the clamp, grip member 17 is pushed downwardly in thedirection of arrow C in FIG. 3 and into the position shown in phantom,removing the end of tongue 19 from slot 13 within which it was disposedand due to the natural resiliency of the material, sometimes referred toas a memory, the tendency is for the narrow end 12 to attempt to releaseitself from the slot and the circle formed tends to widen or increase indiameter. The opening action can, of course, be aided by application ofa suitable pull or push upon the ends to aid in separating them.

It is apparent, therefore, that a simple, unitary hose clamp has beenprovided which is inexpensive to manufacture, positive in action andwhich can be applied and removed with ease and without the necessity ofspecial tools or skill.

Thus, among others, the several objects in the invention, asspecifically aforenoted, are achieved. Obviously, numerous changes inconstruction and rearrangement of parts might be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention as dened by the claim.

I claim:

A hose clamp consisting of a substantially flat member formed from aresilient material, a lirst end of said member, a plurality of tonguereceiving slots formed in said first end with each slot spaced fromadjacent slots longitudinally of said member, a second end of saidmember, said ends turned upon one another to dispose said member in theform of a circle, a bent section of said member intermediate said firstand second ends, a irst portion of said bent section lying in thecircumference of the circle so formed, a second portion of said bentsection directed away from the center ofthe circle so formed, saidsecond end forming an angle with said second portion, an end receivingslot formed in said 'first and second portions through which said rstend is projected, a tongue formed in said bent section projecting towardthe center of the circle so formed and within one of the slots of saidplurality with said second end overlying said member and the resiliencyof said member maintaining said tongue Within said tongue receiving slotand said second end being resiliently pivotable about said bent sectiontoward said member whereby said tongue is removed from said tonguereceiving slot.

References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 14,762 11/ 19Springer 24-22 1,173,998 2/16 Depew 24-23 1,176,189 3/16 Thomas 24-20FOREIGN PATENTS 223,764 7/10 Germany.

10 DONLEY J. STOCKING, Primary Examiner.

